Deceiving Clutches
by demi-witchdaughterofHades
Summary: Based on an animatic by thepastelpeach on YouTube. Roman has always wanted to be a prince but is a simple peasant. When a stranger corners him in the woods and offers him the throne, what will he do? Sorry for the horrible summary, I am new to this. Rated T for potential language.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sanders Sides. The credit belongs to Thomas Sanders. The overall plot belongs to _thepastelpeach_ who you can find on youtube. She made an AMAZING animatic which I suggest you watch after you finish the story as the animatic contains spoilers. You can find it by searching "Ready as I'll ever be - Sanders Sides animatic" Anyway, on with the story!**

 **Prologue**

Long ago, when even Merlin hasn't been born, there was a small group of Praise-singers. They were wizards without wands and had the ability to Praise. By that, it is meant that the sing their praise so powerfully, a person enters a hypnotized-like state. Hence the name. The power wasn't used often, but one Praise-singer abused it. Some say he went bad after his mother died. Others claim that he was forced to watch his parents get murdered. No one knows exactly and his name was long forgotten. He got power hungry and started going after Royals and Dukes, Praising them into giving up their possessions and power. Then one fateful day, he was gone. No trace of him was left and it was almost as if he was never there. Looking back, the people decided on a name for him, taking into account all of his actions. Finally, it was decided. He was named Deceit.

 **Twenty** **Years Later**

"Roman! Roman, it's time to wake up!" Roman groaned and rolled over in the straw bed he shared with his younger sister Melony. He had the most splendid dream. He was a prince leading the knights into battle against Lothywyr, an enemy of his home kingdom Glendahar. The fearsome battle was victorious, and he was trotting on his snowy white stallion back to the kingdom which would hold a celebration for the next few days. "Roman, it's your 15 birthday! You are going to the knight training academy for the first time today!" Roman gasped and quickly sat up, throwing off his sister. How could he have forgotten? Melony, who was only five, pouted. "Mother said that you have to milk the cow first." He groaned. "When will Virgil, Logan, and Patton come?" As if they where called, a knock was heard on the door frame. "Roman, wake up. It's not-" "Dignified to be late." Right away he could tell that it was Virgil and Logan. Virgil was constantly worried for Roman, which annoyed him to no end. He was an adventurous spirit and shouldn't be held back from his goals. Logan was smart, and since his family was educated, he was schooled at home. The group used to like to joke that he will one day become the Royal Advisor for King Thomas. But, at this rate, they all truly believed that he will get a job at the castle. All of them were waiting until Logan would say that he was ready for the test but he said that he will only start when he was twenty. "Roman you have to wake up! Aren't you excited to go and start to train today?" Patton didn't even wait for the "Come in!" when he bounded into the room like the ball of sunshine he was. "I have to milk the cow first guys. I'll come in a short while." After Roman finished, Roman and Patton bounced all the way to the castle while Logan walked slower and Virgil trudged along.

 **The wonderful line break**

"So, you want to be a knight kid?" "Of course!" Roman frowned. Why was this taking so long? "You know that becoming a knight means possible death and relentless training for five years. It isn't easy." Roman, once again, nodded. "I know about the risks and my parents let me. I want to become a knight." The guard shrugged. "Suit yourself. Come along. I have to take you to the chief." Roman grinned a goodbye at the others while Virgil tugged at his grey home-spun clothes and Logan and Patton waved, sporting the same outfits only different shades of grey. When Roman turned around, he focused his gaze on all the different knights in the field. Swords clashed and someone sliced a straw dummy open. Someone in the distance yelled "Fix your stance! Anton, you're holding the sword wrong. BE CAREFUL! Honestly, good thing beginners start with wooden replicas of swords, not the actual thing. OR YOU WOULD HAVE SLICED YOUR ARM OPEN!" The guard man grinned. "That is how you find the chief. There aren't that many new knights now, so he goes hard on the ones who join. Don't take it personally if he starts to yell too much at you. He wants you all to be able to defend yourselves when you are in a war and your only means of defense are your sword. Sometimes shields get lost and you need to be careful. Sometimes, King Thomas might walk around here so be on your best behavior. After you have met the chief, I will show you where you will be staying during your time at the Academy. I will also explain the rules later. There he is, Chief Francis."

Chief Francis was a tall lean man and was very muscular. He had a short beard and had a mustache, both of which were light brown. His hair was short the proper length for a knight and castle staff while everyone else had shoulder-length hair. He was helping a young man perfect his grip on the sword. When he was done with that, he looked up and noticed Roman and the guard standing on the outskirts of the group. Chief Francis walked over to the two and looked over Roman with a criticizing eye. "New trainee? Not many people are applying nowadays. Hopefully, you are strong, I can't bear having a student drop out." His eyes turned sad. "I'm afraid that I was too tough on them, but if I wasn't..." Francis didn't finish the sentence but everyone understood the meaning. They would've perished in the wars. He waved a dismissive hand. "He is accepted. Show him to his room." Francis directed his gaze at Roman. "You will be ready for training at 6-o-clock. No later, or else."

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 **Huff. Thank you for reading this! It's my first fanfiction so if you can tell me how you liked it, it would be much appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2: The First Day

**Hey I'm back! Thank you all who read this story, I appreciate all the support. I have not yet perfected my update schedule but it will be most likely once a week on Saturday or Sunday and if I'm up to it, another day of the week. Thank you!**

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Roman woke early the next morning, not willing to get on the bad side of Chief Francis. He wandered out of the room he shared with two seniors in the knight academy, wondering what he will get for breakfast when he came upon the dining room. It was small, given the fact that almost no one applied to the academy anymore for fear of death. Only five people about Romans age were up and they were eating. He walked over t a table that was empty, he felt a small twinge of nervousness. What if he wasn't good? What if he completely embarrasses himself? What if- Roman shook his head. No need to think like Virgil. Everything was going to be perfectly glamorous! This was the best decision of his life and he wasn't going to back out of it, not if he values his dignity. Suddenly, someone slid into the seat across from him.

"Hi!" the person said. Not surprised, Roman grinned.

"Hello! I'm Roman. Who are you?"

The person smirked."Name is Ellyn. I'm training to become a knight."

Roman tilted his head. "You're a girl? I didn't know that the Academy accepted females. "

Ellyn nodded. "It's an experiment to see if females should be accepted to the Academy. Today is my first day. How about you?"

"Same here."

"Guess we are going to have quite an experience here. Why did you apply?"

Roman shrugged. "I always wanted to become a knight. How about you?"

"'Cause the experiment. I'm one of the only girls to want to apply. Almost everyone else wanted to be married to Dukes or just be fancy. It's just not my thing to be feminine you know?"

"Not really..." Roman stared at the porridge that was laid in front of him. He picked up the spoon and started to eat. A bell clanged.

"Hurry up! It's 5:50!" Chief Francis appeared and grabbed a muffin, giving everyone a glare that clearly meant if they don't get to the field in 60 seconds, they will all regret it.

"Shit. We have to go."

Roman and Ellyn ran to the field and ended up being the first ones there. Chief Francis tossed them a wooden sword each. Roman and Ellyn both caught the swords without an issue. Francis raised his eyebrow at both of them, slightly impressed.

"You are the only new students so far so you both will be getting sessions early in the morning. You will be the only ones I this class." Both of the students nodded, eager for the lesson to begin.

"First, we will be looking at how to perfect your grp and stance."

This went on for some time and Chief was taken aback at how fast the two where understanding everything. The pair were like sponges, soaking up all the information about sword fighting. They had so much raw talent and potential! An hour passed quickly and Francis dismissed the two.

"Practice in the field. In five hours, come back. Then we will spar."

Ellyn stuck out her sword in the direction of Roman.

"Wanna try to spar?"Roman smirked.

"Definitely."

* * *

Francis was right about the raw talent, that's all that needs to be said. The two parried and feinted, each face screwed in a look of concentration. Finally, after an endless match, the session ended with Roman on the ground, Ellyn's boot on his chest, her wooden sword pointed at his neck.

"I won." Her devilish grin was enough to make a strong warrior cower in fear, but Roman held her gaze.

"I demand a rematch."

"Suit yourself."

Roman got up and stood in an offensive stance. Ellyn swung and Roman instantly switched to defense. Unbeknown to the two, sixteen year-old King Roman stood next to Francis. His gaze strayed to the pair and he watched the two. "They have potential Francis. So much raw talent. How are you going to train them?"

Francis sighed. "They will graduate much faster then most, maybe a year early. I have no doubt they will make great warriors and will be great friends with you Your Majesty."

"No need for the formalities Francis. Call me Thomas."

"Of course You- Thomas. As I was saying, it might be a good idea to befriend them. They are eager to learn and would absolutely love any advice you can give. They soak up all the information and will do almost anything to improve."

Thomas smiled. "I will take your advice."

* * *

Thomas neared Roman and Ellyn while they were still fighting. When he was in hearing range he slowed down, interested about what they were saying.

"Roman, is that all you can do?"

"Ellyn, you know that I can easily swipe you off your feet."

Ellyn smirked. "What's stopping you?"

"Giving you a fighting chance."

"You wish. I can do worse than that."

"Care to demonstrate?"

Ellyn moved to swipe at his arm, but he ducked and rolled. She growled, eyes narrowing.

"Come at me." Her voice was low. Roman laughed. He stabbed her right side but feinted last second, sticking his foot out and tripping Ellyn. Before she hit the ground he caught her hand and pulled her up. It was obvious from this demonstration that they were becoming fast friends. Thomas chuckled and Roman whipped around. "Your Majesty!" Roman kneeled down and Ellyn followed, both hearts beating frantically. Did they do something wrong? Thomas chuckled again.

"Rise." Roman and Ellyn rose warily, scared of what might happen.

"Yes Your Majesty." They both chorused.

"I have noticed that you are both very good at sparring. Did you take lessons before this?"

Roman shook his head. Ellyn hesitated.

"My brother taught me some tips."

Thomas nodded. "Would you both like to learn some more from me?"

Their eyes twinkled. "Yes Your Majesty!"

And so, a new friendship was born.

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 **What do you guys think? Please review. Anyway, going to get the new Trials of Apollo book while listening to MCR. *Sniffs* BYE!**


	3. Chapter 3: Unwanted Attention

**Hey guys! This chapter is going to be a little short. I am going to update on you for your support!**

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"That's it Roman. Keep focusing on me and give me your best. Good feint!"

Many trainees couldn't believe their eyes. King Thomas was right there, and he was training with _freshmen_. _Freshmen_ of all people! And they had the nerve to be trying their best to beat the King! As more and more people told their friends exactly what was happening in that far corner of the yard, slowly but surely people were stopping their training to stare at the three. Chief Francis, wondering what was going on (this was the first time he saw them paying attention to anyone this closely) stepped up to the front of the group and was greeted by the sight of Thomas and Roman sparring while Ellyn was standing a little way away looking at the two.

"Is this what everyone is looking at?"

The students closest to Francis whirled around.

"Err.. yes Chief."

"What is so interesting to you all about this scene that you all stopped training?"

"Well.. it's just that it's King Thomas! And he is with the students that came yesterday!"

Francis raised an eyebrow.

"And? Don't you all know that the King will come out to the training fields once in a while?"

When Francis was talking with the student, Thomas tripped Roman, sending him sprawled onto the floor.

"Great job. You held out much longer than I thought you would. Ellyn, your turn."

Said person picked up the wooden broadsword from the ground and stood across from Thomas and stood in a defensive stance. She learned much about the way the King starts the fights from her previous experiences. He almost always starts offensive and Ellyn was quick to stop him. They went back and forth. Everyone was watching in awe of her skill. Eventually, Ellyn was able to knock the sword out of Thomas' hand. Everyone was still.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry Your Majesty."

Thomas laughed and picked up his sword.

"Don't be! I must say, you two are some of the most talented fighters I have seen in some time. But, you have tired me out. Same time tomorrow?"

Roman and Ellyn nodded.

"Yes, Your Majesty." They chorused.

When the King left, the field was filled with awkward silence. Finally, Francis came up to them.

"I must say, you two are some of the most talented people I have taught. I have noticed some mistakes in your moves. Might I demonstrate?"

And once again, the field was filled with thumps and shouts. But more than one mind held thoughts of envy.

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 **And thank you once again! If you have constructive criticism, please send review.**


	4. Chapter 4: Getting to know Ellyn

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Sanders Sides or the majority of the plot. Credit goes to Thomas Sanders and _thepastelpeach_ on youtube.** ** OoO**

As the duo walked into the dorms, whispers broke out.

"Can you imagine their nerve?"

"What do you mean?"

"The girl, she knocked the sword out of the Kings' hands!"

"No way."

"They were training with the King!"

"How? Most of us were here for at least a year more and King Thomas never trained with us."

Ellyn glanced worriedly at Roman. It was obvious that he was trying, and failing, at keeping his hot temper at bay. Ellyn was sure that if they didn't get out of here soon, Roman might do something very reckless, like challenging someone to a duel. He began looking like a tomato.

"Roman, relax."

"Do they not know what they are saying?"

"Keep that pride under check. They have more experience fighting, it won't be smart to do something stupid."

"How do you know what I'm going to do?" Roman snapped.

"Let's just walk away. Calmly. Relax a bit." Ellyn replied, desperate to keep her new friend from exploding.

They walked through the halls of the dorm building. The torches flickered with orange flames. The grey stone as smooth and dry on the walls and the ornate red carpet colored the dull corridor. The whispers faded into the background. Ellyn briefly wondered if she should bring Roman to her dorm. She wasn't entirely sure if the rules permitted that but his dorm room was all the way back towards the talkative students. She decided to bring him with her.

"Roman. Do you want to visit my dorm?"

"Huh?" He looked confused, as if he wasn't paying attention. Ellyn sighed.

"Do you want to see my dorm room?" Ellyn repeated and it took a moment for Roman to process the question,

"Yeah. That'll be nice."

They reached a turn in the halls. After they checked that no one was going to suddenly come up from behind them, Ellen led him to her dorm. Finally, they came upon it.

"Finally!" Roman exclaimed before falling into an armchair that was in front of the fireplace. The bedroom was sparsely decorated. Torches hung from the four corners of the room, lighting up the small space. The bed had green and silver sheets, no doubt from her parents. On a cabinet stood a small chest bearing a shining lake. Roman couldn't stifle his curiosity.

"What's in the box?"

Ellyn glanced at it before quickly looking away.

"Nothing much. Just a few letters." Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat.

"From who?" Roman asked quietly, knowing that he was treading on unknown grounds.

"My brother. He's ill."

Roman didn't need to ask to see that they were close, and that it was possible that he won't survive. Her eyes clouded with unshed tears. Not sure of himself, he awkwardly patted her on the back. Instead of forcing her to relive sad memories, he asked her of the lake on the small chest.

"That? That is my family crest. The Silverlakes."

Roman gaped a bit. The Silverlakes were a very respectable family, and they wanted to marry their daughters to Lords. And here was one of the Ladies, that was his friend, and she was training to be a bloody knight!

"I thought that your family wanted you to marry. How did you convince them to let you come here?"

Ellyn shrugged and dried her tears.

"Somehow. I'm not entirely sure."

"How many sisters do you have?"

"Three. And one brother. Annabeth is 10, Piper is 8, and Nellie is 5. My older brother Arthur is 17."

Roman had the sense to stay silent as Ellyn dove into nostalgia. He wanted to leave her be and got up to go.

"Errr. Bye Ellyn. I'll see you tomorrow."

When he left, Ellyn flopped onti her bed and began sobbing.

 **Ze Linebreak**

 **And thank you readers! Finally, some backstory on one of our main characters. Thank you all sooooo much for reading this story. And I am not sorry that I stole some names from the Percy Jackson and Heroes if Olympus stories. They will also probably have similar personalities. Anyway, see you next time!**


	5. Chapter 5:Envious Revenge

**I always knew I was a fucking idiot. But I am so sorry that I turned into the greatest hypocrite ever. I love you all, and will always berate myself for letting you all down. But, finally, here is the next chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Almost none of this belongs to me. The Sanders Sides belong to Thomas Sanders and the eventual plot belongs to _thepastelpeach_.**

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"That was amazing." Exclaimed Ellyn breathlessly after another sparring session with the King. Roman nodded his head viciously in agreement. The crowd around the friends dispersed, leaving them alone. Roman thought back to the looks on everyone's faces while they were watching Ellyn fight. The looks made him uneasy. He studied the teens that were aimlessly milling around. One group caught his eye. They were watching the two best friends and whispering. He turned to look at Ellyn watching that same group of boys.

"I can challenge them do a duel."

"No, Roman."

"Maybe we should avoid them instead." Roman remarked. Ellyn hummed in agreement. She was a bit quieter after the time Roman asked about her family. But, she was slowly becoming better, and just this morning was chattering away as Roman laughed at her jokes. He briefly wondered what Virgil would think about her. He quickly chased the thought out of his mind. What did he care about the timid boy outside these walls? But, no matter how many times a day Roman would tell himself to stop thinking about the depressed peer back home, he would constantly miss him more and more. What was up with that?

When Roman dove out of his thoughts, he was surprised to learn that he was already on the way to Ellyn's room. The young girl rolled her eyes at Roman's look of surprise. They constantly hung out at her room for several reasons. First of all, Roman had to share his room with another two seniors who constantly invited their friends to bug Roman. Because of that, Roman nearly got into a fist fight with them, before he came to his senses and instead stormed out of the room as taunts followed him. Ellyn constantly had to hold him back as someone insulted the two. _I mean really,_ Roman thought. _A knight isn't supposed to dishonor someone. Their supposed to defend that honor._

"Roman, did I tell you about my siblings?"

"No. They were Annabeth, Piper, and Nellie, right?"

"Yes. Annabeth is a complete nerd. She is constantly in our library reading. Then over dinner she recites facts like an encyclopedia." Roman laughed a bit.

"She sounds like Logan, who is a friend of mine. His family is fairly educated, so he is schooled. We used to joke that he was going to become the Royal Advisor, but now my friends and I honestly believe it."

"Piper, my other sister, looks stunning all of the time, even when she disobeys Mother and cuts her hair choppily. She seems to attract boys like moths to a torch. Finally, Nellie is a sweetheart. She is the most adorable child you can ever meet, and is a literal ball of sunshine."

"Nellie sounds like Patton. He always cheers our group on, even when Virgil feels like a big mess and Logan would skip several meals in a row. He would never stop bouncing around like an excited puppy." The conversation progressed and the two friends laughed and joked in Ellyn's room. When Roman noticed the sun setting out of the window, he bid the 'fair maiden' goodnight and exited. He walked towards his room slowly, reluctant to even get closer to the shared room. He rounded the corner and quickly ducked out of the way of a flying projectile, which he recognized was a wooden spoon. He whirled towards his attackers and cursed. They were the group he and Ellyn observed staring at them during practice.

"Where is your girlfriend Roman? Finally dumped you in the mud?"

"Sod off, you gods damned idiots. We're just friends."

"Just friends you say? So maybe you are an introvert? ( **I don't know what term they used as gay back in that day. Leave me be** )

"Why would I be that way? Even if I wanted to court Ellyn, we work better as friends. Like I said, sod off." The leader sneered and aimed for a blow to Roman's head. Instead, Roman rolled out of the way and ducked into a nearby room, which was thankfully equipped with a lock. He locked the door as the others kept pounding on it. When the violent knocking stopped, he trusted his instincts and didn't open the door, and instead slid down the wood and fell asleep.

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When Roman opened the door the next morning, he was relieved to see that his attackers where gone, and that he wasn't late for breakfast. He quickly sped to the cafeteria, where he found Ellyn entering through the other entrance, looking slightly worried. The worry cleared as soon as she saw the knight in training. They sat at their usual table.

"Where were you? You usually meet me outside my door."

"I was attacked yesterday. The group we saw earlier found me, and I hid in a room till I woke up." Ellyn frowned.

"Something tells me that they really won't leave us alone." She said as her eyes flitted over to a group of guys trying to look intimidating. The bell signifying the freshman's lesson finally clanged, and Roman and Ellyn followed Chief Francis outside into the field.

"Stay alert while fighting." Said Chief Francis, and the two friends couldn't help but think that that rule will help them in more ways than one in the future.

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 **So, this is the end of the chapter! Please review.**

 **What are you still doing here? I said go!**

 **Ok fine. I felt bad for abandoning you guys for four months and decided to write more. If I did this on anyones birthday, Happy Birthday you lucky bastards!**

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"Roman! Your turn to practice with Thomas!" The duo and the King were practicing in an isolated corner of the field, where no one will notice them. Thomas thought this was a strange request, but he complied anyway.

What he thought was strange was that Roman and Ellyn seemed unusually distracted from the session. They took more blows than usual and moved slowly. When Roman nearly got hit another time, Thomas stopped.

"I don't know what is going on right now, but you seem distracted. As a friend, I am strongly concerned for all of you. What is going on?" Roman and Ellyn blinked and looked startled.

"You think of us as friends?" Roman finally blurted out.

"Of course. Tell me what is going on." Ellyn sighed.

"It isn't much, Thomas. We stayed up late last night talking and lost track of the time. We both went to sleep late. That is all." Thomas looked skeptical, but didn't question the statement. But he couldn't help noticing that till the end of the lesson, the duo joked around with him more and moved more fluently.

After the session, Thomas remarked on how that day he had an unusual amount of free time. Roman's eyes lit up when he realized that he got to spend more time with the king. Ellyn looked even happier when she realized that she got another friend. The three hung out the rest of the day, talking about random things that came to mind when. Their bond grew stronger, and the once duo grew into a trio.

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 **I would love to write more, but my mom is yelling at me to go to sleep, because I have a stupid thing called Russian school on Staturdays. I love you all, please review, and I will try to post another chapter tomorrow. Don't be surprised if it is posted at 4 am in the bloody morning. Cheers!**


	6. Chapter 6: Knights Aren't Bullies

**AHAHAAAAAAAAAAAA don't you hate it when you turn around and someone deletes 800+ words and you have to start the story all over and you forget how the bloody thing started? Hello once again! I thank you all today for staying with me. Love you!**

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As Thomas's friendship with Roman and Ellyn progressed, he found out a lot about the once duo. For example, once he found out that Ellyn's brother was dying, he sent a Physician from the castle to the Silverlake home and helped the boy recover. He found out all about Roman's three friends outside of the castle. How Patton was constantly acting like a big overgrown puppy and how Logan was basically destined to become his advisor. He also found out about Virgil, who the dramatic knight in training described as an 'emo nightmare'. Personally, Thomas thought that Roman fancied the teen back home. He mentioned him a lot in passing and would argue vehemently that 'no. I do not miss him. At all.' and will become very defensive. Personally, Thomas didn't see anything wrong about liking someone of the same gender. Love is love, no matter what form it takes. Shouldn't the ability to love be free and not be forced to hide under a rock lest someone will burn you at the stake?

The most important thing that Thomas found out about the two was that whenever one of their fellow trainees even as much as looked at them, they would go stiff as a board and will immediately retreat to a private corner out there somewhere. Thomas tried to coax the two into telling him what is going on, but they always offered the same excuses over and over. He only wanted to help, but to do that they needed to tell him. But maybe he can find out on his own...

 _ **Ze Line Break Of Weird As Hell Stuff...….**_

Roman and Ellyn were in a state of constant alert. Even when Roman's instincts said that they were safe, he still carefully peered around corners and constantly looked behind his shoulder, just waiting to be jumped on again and being forced to protect Ellyn from the brunt of the damage. When they finally got to Ellyn's room, the collapsed on the bed with tired sighs.

"I hate this." Roman muttered.

"I know."

"Honestly, they are supposed to be knights! Knights don't bully, they protect. It's in the bloody code of honor for the gods sakes!"

"Roman, complaining and being dramatic won't make it better." Ellyn thought for a minute and looked at the fuming boy beside her.

"Maybe we can tell Thomas?" Roman sighed.

"Ellyn, you were the one to say we shouldn't tell him. Besides, what would he think? That we are weak for not dealing with this on our own?"

"Thomas wouldn't think that," Ellyn countered "He would probably solve this problem or something. He's our friend."

"Whatever." Roman muttered. "Can we just rest for the next several hours? I don't want to go back to my room." Ellyn nodded and left Roman in peace, enjoying the silence.

 _ **Is he Gay or European?**_

"Roman, your turn!" Roman walked up to Thomas and got into a defensive stance. Thomas preformed a thrust, so Roman parried and feinted towards Thomas's left. Thomas saw through the move and disengaged Roman. They fought this way for several minutes before Thomas finally disarmed the teen and knocked him backwards. He stuck out his and, which Roman gratefully accepted. As soon as he stood up though, he froze.

"Shit." Roman paled and picked up the broadsword from the grass. Thomas and Roman were surrounded on nearly all sides by other people. Roman looked for a way to get out, but almost all of them left at once. Roman frowned. That usually doesn't happen.

"Thank you, Thomas. Nice fighting with you." Roman bid the King goodbye and left. Thomas frowned. He looked around, saw no one and decided to follow Roman from a distance. He needed to see Francis anyway.

When Thomas entered the dorms, it was unnaturally quiet. At this time of day the halls were usually bustling with activity. _Maybe everyone is practicing or in the cafeteria._ Somehow, it seemed that that wasn't true. Thomas turned a few times on the direction to Francis's office when he found something unexpected.

The people who were watching Roman fight were presently watching Roman get beaten up while he made feeble attempts to fight back his attackers. Thomas stood there in shock for a few moments when he finally settled his face into a frown and stepped up.

"Just what do you think you are doing?" Everyone froze and Roman finally dropped to the floor for a moment of rest.

"N-nothing, Your Majesty."

"I had the impression that you weren't doing 'nothing'. Why were you hurting a fellow knight in training?" Thomas was surprised to find that his voice sounded very cold, but it did the job. The attackers flinched and one of them was brave (or foolish) enough to say that they were only 'teaching Roman a lesson'. Thomas looked at Roman and saw him cringe at those words. Feeling a sudden desire to protect his friend, Thomas made the next statement.

"Do you all know why you are here? You are here to become knights. Not cowardly bullies. Knights have a strict code of honor and one of the rules are to never hurt someone when you don't have a reason to, and when they cannot fight back. What you were doing there was the exact opposite. Get out of my sight, or I will tell Francis what happened and all of you will be expelled." The boys scuttled away and left Thomas alone with Roman. Thomas immediately knelt down to help him.

He found that all of the boys bruises were hidden under long sleeves. Roman was a shivering mess on the floor. The King hugged his friend when he failed at stopping a sob from escaping his throat.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Thomas asked.

"I thought that you wouldn't like me anymore for being weak. Thank you." Thomas smiled and kept hugging his friend. Since that day, Ellyn and Roman were never afraid to open up around Thomas.

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 **Huff. Sorry I didn't post anything yesterday, but this was an important as hell chapter and I didn't want it to be a piece of shit. Love you all, and please review!**


	7. Chapter 7: Winter Break

**Hello, I'm back again.**

 **I know, I know. I haven't updated in basically a year. And I won't be able to promise about many updates in the near future cause highschool is.. well... terrible. Anyway, thank you** ZiaRashid12 **for commenting on my story, it has been a delight to receive your notification. And now, onto the story.**

 **I own nothing. The Sanders Sides belong to Thomas Sanders and the inspiration belongs to _thepastelpeach_ on youtube**

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Roman woke up to a howling wind and Ellyn poking him in the side.

"Leave me alone, Ellyn. It's too cold to get up." When Roman felt the poking cease, he burrowed deeper into the couch and tried to fall asleep again. That is, until Ellyn jumped on him. Roman shrieked. "Ellyn! Get off of me! You're freezing!" Ellyn laughed long and hard before finally rolling off of him and letting her fellow knight-in-training breathe. "I hate you." Ellyn _let_ loose another round of chuckles.

"Sure you do." Roman rolled his eyes and lifted himself onto his elbows so he could properly swat Ellyn on the arm. Which didn't really work as planned, since he was still groggy. "Get up, Roman."

"No."

"Get up, you lazy excuse for a knight. Or else I'll dump you onto the stone cold ground." Said 'lazy excuse for a knight' glared at his partner and finally stood up.

"Happy?"

"Nope. Let's go get breakfast and then meet up with Thomas." Roman relented to the endless pestering of his best friend and slipped on some socks and a pair of boots  
that Thomas basically forced him to accept as a present. Ellyn was already ready, and they headed out.

 _ **First line break of the chapter,** **bois**_

"Hey Ellyn! Hello Roman! I see that you got Roman up early for once." Thomas joked teasingly, letting the responsibilities of being king fall away from his shoulders.  
Roman muttered something along the lines of 'a knight needs his beauty sleep' and Thomas Ruffled the hair of the duo. "How is it like, crashing on Ellyns' couch?"

"More comfortable than being up and awake at this early hour. Especially since it is _freezing_." Thomas shrugged.

"I can't control the weather."

"I bet Roman wishes that he could." Ellyn commented. Roman made a nose of agreement. "See? I do understand you. I just choose not to obey your every wish."  
Roman pouted,

"Why not?"

" _Someone_ has to make life difficult for you." Roman made an offended face as Thomas laughed.

"How _dare_ -" Ellyn covered Romans' mouth with her hand.

"Calm down before you infect everyone with your offense." Roman huffed and crossed his arms, relaxing. After a few minutes, Thomas perked up.

"I nearly forgot! I have good news for the two of you." The two knights in training turned to look at the king. Once he had the attention of both of his friends, he  
continued. "We're going to have a day or two for visitation. So, your friends and family can come visit and see how everyone progressed throughout their education and  
their stay in the academy." Roman let out an excited shout.

"Yay!" Ellyn turned to Thomas and being the responsible one asked:

"When is it?" Thomas smiled.

"Next week. I had a letter mailed to your families already. That way, they will be on time." Ellyn smiled and thanked the king. "No problem. I had a feeling that the two of you were getting a bit homesick."

"I can't believe that I can meet your siblings, Ellyn! And I get to introduce the two of you to my friends. Oh! Thomas, you absolutely _have_ to meet Logan. I'm not sure if I told you yet, but Logan is totally going to be your advisor at some point. He is basically the smartest person I know." Thomas smiled fondly at the child-like wonder and excitement on his friends face.

"I'm excited too."

"Oh, You know what I'm really excited about?" Added Ellyn "Annabeth meeting Logan. I'm pretty sure that they will end up being great friends. Or enemies. Frenemies. Tthat will be _really_ exciting. Imagine the fights the two will get into! A battle of wits."

 **Next Week**

Roman woke up early the morning his friends and family were supposed to visit. Looking out the window, he could see that it didn't snow much the previous night, making it a great day to have a walk outside. Which is what he decided to do.

Every time Roman thought of Virgil coming to see him and meet Ellyn, his face split into a big beaming smile. He wouldn't admit it to anyone yet, but he missed the anxious pal of his more than anyone else in his friend group. Sure, Patton is a delightful ball of sunshine that anyone can be friends with **(other than Max from Camp Camp *laughs*)** and Logan was a person that Roman needed to answer any of the absurd ideas that flit through his head all the time, but Virgil was someone else entirely. It was thanks to him thhat Roman didn't go to many of his more reckless adventures when they were younger. Especially since when they look back, the four of them realized that Roman would've been injured in terrible ways. And Virgil was closer to Roman and vice versa. The banter the two got into was often the best part of Romans' day.

So yeah, Roman was pretty damn excited to see his friends again.

When Roman finally headed back to his shared room with Ellyn, he was freezing and cold. So he did the logical thing.

He snuck up behind Ellyn and woke her up with his cold, cold hands.

"Godamnit, Roman!" Ellyn shot up from underneath her blankets and tried to punch her friend, but he stepped back just in time for her fist to hit nothing but air. She shivered as Roman laughed. "I hate you."

"Oh, fair maiden Ellyn. No one can hate a person with such a shining personality." Ellyn shrugged.

"Well, I have the habit of doing things that are impossible. But you're right. I don't hate you." Ellyn stretched and pulled on her boots. "So, what are we doing today?" Roman blinked.

"What do you mean 'what are we doing today?' Did you forget what day it is?" Ellyn just looked at Roman wth a confused expression on her face before the day it was hit her in the face like a brick.

"OH MY GOD MY FAMILY IS COMING!" Roman watched with a small smile as Ellyn jumped around the room like an excited chipmunk. But she wasn't about to have anyone be calm on such a wonderful day such as this. She grabbed his arm and ran out of the room while pulling him along. After the two grabbed an apple each they ran towards the main entrance, awaiting the people that they missed.

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 **So, there we go! I have reached the average Word Count per chapter (somewhere between 1,000- 1,200 words) and successfully wrote till my brain has reached Writers Block. Yay. Anyway, scram!**

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 **When Y'all going?**

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 **Okay, fine. I left you guys hanging for forever last chapter, so I'll try to reach 2,000 words. Just for you guys. Here we go!**

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Patton arrived first.

Really, it shouldn't have been a surprise that he would be the one who would run basically all the way from the village, especially since it wasn't that far away. It definitely shouldn't have been a surprise that the second Patton reached the trio of friends, he would swing his arms around Roman in a crushing hug.

"Roman! I missed you so much! Logan and Virgil did too, and they should be here soon. I was just so excited to see you that I may have left them a bit behind me. How is the academy? Do you like it? Do you know when you will graduate? Did you make friends?" Roman laughed as he untangled himself from Pattons' arms and brushed his sides free of dust.

"One question at a time, Pat. The Academy is great, and yeah I made friends. I'll wait until Virgil and Logan arrive to introduce everyone. Did something exciting happen to you guys while I was learning?"

"Yes, we have a lot of news. Oh, there they are!" Roman turned around to see Logan and (his heart jumped) Virgil. Virgils' hair was tousled which would have given him a playful look if it wasn't for the scowl painted onto his face which (was it just his imagination?) lessoned a bit when Roman was in sight. Logan looked as well as ever, his hair brushed carefully. He gave off the feeling that he was wise beyond his years. All in all, the three looked well. When the two caught up, Roman hugged Logan and then Virgil. And Virgil actually hugged back! Romans' heart soured at the feeling of Virgils' arms encircling him. After a few moments, he pulled away.

"So, you three actually made it! I guess I have to introduce you to my wonderful friends now. Virgil, Patton, and Logan. This is my friend Ellyn-" Ellyn waved at the three newcomers "And this is my friend Thomas." Thomas waved as well. Logan studied the king.

"You're not a knight, are you?" Thomas laughed.

"No, indeed I am not. I heard much about you three, especially you Logan. Roman told me that there is a high chance that you will become my Royal Advisor in the future." Everyones eyes widened (except for Romans' and Ellyns' of course) and the three villagers **(hehe)** bowed quickly. "No need to bow. Any friend of Romans' is a friend of mine."

"Yeah, same with me." Added Ellyn. "I often have to stop this idiot-" "Hey!" "from getting himself into deep shit, but well. He's okay."

As Roman pretend glared at Ellyn, he felt a smile slip onto his face. All that was left was for the rest of the Silverlakes to arrive and then... well.. all sorts of chaos.

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 **Okay so I tried to add a bit more but I think my brain is going to fry. Did anyone see the new video? Remus is.. well.. let's just say that Deceit isn't just my only fave villain anymore.**

 **Please review so that my pathetic self will have a vague feeling of motivation for uploading more chapters.**


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